timecode

apotropaic wrote on 5/20/2004, 2:21 PM
Hi,
I've been playing around with vegas video since version 2. I've never used it for an actuall project before until a couple of weeks ago. I had a small issue when once I was in post. I had 3 cameras (XL1 & 2 x GL1s), and wasn't using timecode in any way at all. The 3 cameras were totally out of sync and all I had was a minidisc recording of the whole wedding ceramony. And no audio from each of the camera angles, because I accidenlty recorded on 12-bit and vegas 2 didn't like that after I capture it and try to open it in VV2. I still can't open the video with audio in VV4. But I can capture the audio using any third party video program. But here is my real problem, even though it was a pain in the butt to sync everything using the pastors mouth, specially when one of the cameras turned off for a couple of minutes in the middle.
AGAIN, here is my real problem, I am doing another video in the next few weeks, and I wanted to know how I can avoid this problem. I've read a lot about timecode, and syncing but I still don't understand how to get two cameras to sync to eachother. I've seen somebody use a mini-DV deck before the generated timecode and the guy just used the output from the deck to go to each of his camears and recorded the acutall sound on the other audio-input (both in mono?). So could somebody please explain my options. I will be using 3 camears. And I'd like it so that when you drop everything into vegas that everything would be in sync. How do I accomplish this? Thanks,

Andrew

Comments

filmy wrote on 5/20/2004, 2:43 PM
>>>I will be using 3 camears. And I'd like it so that when you drop everything into vegas that everything would be in sync. How do I accomplish this?<<<

On the "simple" level as you want to do - you can't do it in Vegas. (And just for anyone who has asked why I think Time code would be great - here is a perfect example. You could do this with Studio 16)

What you have to do in Vegas is capture all your video and than drop it onto the timeline. Than find a common audio/video point and sync it up. Excalibur will also work for this as well. However on a time code level - can't do it. In a near perfect world you could enter a TC into the time line and also each audio/video would have the same time code. ..drop them onto the time line and they would all auto sync to the TC start offset or sync offset.

Before someone slams me - you would also have to lock timecode to all camera as well as audio. One way is with a master TC slate so you could, say, have the master audio running that slate and that would allow you to enter the offset on each camera's TC. But, to do something like this in Vegas you would have to drop the TC filter on each video track at the media bin level and for audio - I don't believe you can see the actual TC in audio tracks with Vegas.
Jsnkc wrote on 5/20/2004, 2:44 PM
The easiest way is to get all 3 cameras running then make some sort of noise like a loud clap or something so that it is picked up on the mics of all 3 cameras. Then you have a reference point that is the same on all 3 cameras. Sync up the audio for the clap on the timeline with all 3 clips and you should be fine as long as nobody stops their camera. I have also seen people use a camera or flashlight flash for this as well, I guess either way would work.
Zulqar-Cheema wrote on 5/20/2004, 2:53 PM
I have used a flash in the past so if the phonographer used his, line that up on all 3 clips.

Time code is no good as all, Will have their own TC and will not be in sync with each other, you need machines with free running TC that carry on even when the machine is not recording so when you start recording again the time code is is in sync still with the other machines.
rdolishny wrote on 5/20/2004, 4:14 PM
You need a professional camera that has a TC in port, you slave camera(s) to one. All betacam's have it. Very few DV do.

All other suggestions are viable: sync 'em up to a photographer's flash is a great idea. Make sure all cameras are running all the time (but you know that already).

As far as passing audio from one camera to the next I'd stick with lav's on one track and camera ambient audio on the other, and record EVERYONE with at least one lav or good shotgun mic.

- R
JackW wrote on 5/20/2004, 10:24 PM
The strobe flash is a great way to do this. You can find them used at photo equipment shops for a couple of dollars.

But Vegas really makes achieving sync between multiple cameras easy. Put the video and audio onto tracks and zoom in until the audio tracks are quite large. Start with track one and find a sound that has a very sharp point of attack and a clearly defined wave form.

Put a marker at the beginning of the sound.

Find the same sound on the next track and slide the beginning of the sound on this track to the marker. Repeat for each additional track. You may find that the sounds don't quite line up, owing to differences in distances between each camera and the sound source, so the final step is to look at all the video to make sure that the movement as well as the audio is synced. Use the mute and solo buttons to facilitate checking. It really doesn't take long to do this, and you can be very accurate with a little practice.

Play all the sound tracks simultaneously. If the effect is hollow sounding, something is out of sync. Mute one track at a time until you find the offender and tweak it into alignment.
Works every time.

Jack